


Drunk on Love

by lo_anlurui



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, M/M, Semi AU, clueless howon, drunk namu, dumb howon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 08:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8094436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lo_anlurui/pseuds/lo_anlurui
Summary: Whenever Woohyun gets drunk, he ends up at Howon's house and never remembers what he says the next day. 
But one day, Woohyun doesn't forget.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starhoya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starhoya/gifts).



> Semi AU where Infinite all live together until they decide to live separately. 
> 
> Dedicated to Bee, my fellow Inspirit & Wooya fangirl. I'm glad you feel comfortable to talk to me and I'm grateful that you always listen to me and my rantings! Super hugs (:

“Hiiiiiiii~!” 

Howon sighed as he took in the sight of Woohyun slumped against his front door, dazedly smiling at him. “How did you get in again?” he asked in exasperation, towelling his hair dry and tossing the towel on his sofa.

Woohyun tilted his head uncomprehendingly. “I keyed in your password!” He giggled. “It worked! Hah, I’m a genius.” 

“But you don’t know my password-” Howon shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” He grabbed Woohyun’s right arm and hauled him across the marble floor towards the toilet. “Why do I always end up doing this?” he asked himself. 

“Because you love me!” Woohyun crowed. 

Howon rolled his eyes. 

(The truth was, Woohyun wasn’t wrong.) 

“And I love you!” he continued as he was dragged across the floor and into the toilet. 

(The truth was…

Well, Howon was afraid to find out.) 

A few months ago, Infinite had gathered for a serious meeting and had decided to move out of their dorm and live separately. Not because they hated each other's guts, but because living alone would be “an awfully grand adventure”, in the words of Dongwoo. In any case, they often crashed each other's apartments and compared interior design, so there wasn't much difference compared to before, except that now they talked even more when they got together for group schedules, gossiping and catching up on each other's shenanigans. 

Woohyun had moved into Howon’s apartment block a month after Howon had, much to Howon’s surprise. Woohyun claimed he didn’t know Howon was living there, but Howon had his doubts. But even that hadn’t been too bad, until Woohyun had started his weekly habit of drunkenly breaking into Howon’s apartment. 

If it had just been Woohyun being drunk, Howon could have managed that. 

But it wasn’t. 

“I really, really love you, Howon-ah,” Woohyun said dreamily as Howon wiped his hands and face with a damp towel, thanking the heavens that Woohyun didn’t vomit when drunk out of his wits. “Howon-ah, you have such pretty eyes and lovely eyelashes. Your smile is so beautiful it leaves me dumbstruck.” 

“I didn’t know you could be dumbstruck,” Howon said dryly. “You’re always chattering.”

Woohyun wagged a finger at him. “Even your sass is cute!” He laughed and hiccuped, sprawling on the floor. Fearful that Woohyun might vomit and choke, Howon pulled his unresisting limbs into the recovery position. Then he unfolded a large, fluffy bath towel and covered Woohyun with it. The bath mat underneath Woohyun would ensure he didn’t get too cold, and it was summer anyway. 

Woohyun blinked up at Howon cutely. “Good night, Howonnie~” he sang. “Sweet dreams.” 

Howon rolled his eyes and shut the door. Outside, he sank to the floor, trembling. 

He couldn’t keep doing this. 

Howon awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of sizzling eggs. As usual, Woohyun was making breakfast, disgustingly not hungover and instead bright eyed and energetic. 

“Hi, Howon!” he chirped. “Did I get drunk again yesterday?”

Life was so unfair, thought Howon, rubbing his eyes. He grunted a yes, and sat at the kitchen table. 

Not only did Woohyun not suffer any ill-effects of his drunken escapades, he had also conveniently developed short-term memory loss. Every morning after his drunk nights, he would wake up with no recollection of how he ended up in Howon’s bathroom toilet, or what rubbish he had spouted the night before. 

“So, what did I talk about this time?” Woohyun asked cheerfully as he served Howon with a plate of rice and eggs and kimchi and a bowl of soup. 

Howon shrugged. “Just nonsense. It’s always nonsense,” he scoffed. 

Woohyun laughed.

* * *

“Just latch the door and don’t let him in, hyung,” Sungjong said, rolling his eyes. “Honestly! You’re so weak to him.” 

“He’s your hyung too, you know,” Howon reminded him. “If I left him outside, drunk, can you imagine if someone recognised him and took pictures? He’d be ruined. We'd be ruined.” 

“He doesn’t seem to care, so why do you?” Sungjong said dramatically. “Let him get caught! Maybe he’ll learn to stop!” He shook a finger at Howon. “You’re just spoiling him.” 

Howon shrugged. 

“And when are you going to tell him the truth?” Sungjong went on, merciless. Time and distance living apart had bolstered Sungjong’s confidence, and while he still respected Howon enough to continue addressing him as ‘hyung’, he had seen enough of Howon’s blunders that he no longer felt awkward about calling him out over his stupidity. 

“The truth about what?” Howon said, feigning stupidity. Or maybe it was real stupidity. Sungjong had that effect on him. 

“About what he says to you every time he’s drunk! That he loves you and all that crap about your eyes and whatever,” Sungjong fixed Howon with a look. “That’s sexual harassment.” 

“He’s drunk, Sungjongie,” Howon said patiently. “He doesn’t know what he’s babbling.” 

“Still, he should be held responsible for his actions,” Sungjong argued. “”Maybe if you told him about it, he would make a conscious effort to stop.” 

Howon pursed his lips together and refused to answer. 

The problem was, he wasn’t sure if he wanted Woohyun to stop. 

“If you’re shy, hyung, I can do it for you. Or you could just call Sunggyu-hyung, and I’m sure he’d yell Woohyun into eternal sobriety,” Sungjong said. 

Howon shook his head. “It’s ok, I can handle it myself. Gyu-hyung might tell the managers, and Woohyun would get into major trouble. I’ll talk to Woohyun the next time.” 

Sungjong eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing, shaking his head.

Unfortunately for him, the next time was that night. 

Howon stared at the heap that was Woohyun’s sprawled limbs all over his door mat. “Again?” he said aloud. 

“Hello, Howonnie,” Woohyun grinned at him. 

Howon sighed and started his routine. “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” he asked quietly as he dragged Woohyun across the floor and into the bathroom. “What's wrong with living apart?” Woohyun had been the hardest to convince to live apart. Only after they'd presented him with all the advantages of living separately had he finally agreed. And then he'd thrown himself headlong into the whole experience so fully, so they’d thought he would be fine. But looking at him now, Howon wondered if that had all been Woohyun’s bravado, stubbornly refusing to admit he missed the others. “Do you miss living with Infinite that much?”

“Not Infinite,” Woohyun hiccuped. He smelt of alcohol, but there was a strange gleam in his eyes. “You.” 

Howon felt his heart skip a beat. 

“You, Lee Howon, Lee Hodong, Hoya, Hoaegi, Hobak goguma…” Woohyun trailed off, chuckling quietly to himself before subsiding into silence, closing his eyes. 

“You’re not going to remember any of this when you wake up,” Howon said to him, although he felt like he was saying it for himself to hear. “So don’t give me false hope.” 

As he stood to leave, Woohyun’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm, yanking him downwards. Startled, Howon tripped and fell on top of him, and their lips met roughly. Pain sparked from where Howon had slammed his knee against the cold tiled floor, but the way Woohyun’s lips felt against his, soft and warm and yielding had Howon jerking backwards, wide-eyed and shocked as he scrambled out of the bathroom. 

When Howon dared to take a peek, Woohyun hadn’t moved, having fallen into a true sleep this time. Howon breathed a sigh of relief and touched his lips. 

You’re a coward, he said to himself. But he didn’t mind being a coward if it meant that Woohyun could remain by his side like this. If he confronted Woohyun about his behavior, he knew their relationship would be forever changed. 

He went to bed that night, but he couldn’t sleep. He'd initially enjoyed living alone at first, enjoyed the independence and the solitude, but then he'd begun thinking of Woohyun and how he missed the other man. Memories of Woohyun and him as Infinite flitted through his mind, moments of quiet happiness and mischievous laughter, of shared pain and joy that they experienced as two out of seven. The relief he'd felt whenever they returned to their dorms, able to put away the masks and just be whoever and whatever they wanted to be for a while without judgment. Memories of the antics Woohyun had got up to every time he broke into his house drunk, the cheesy pick-up lines he’d unknowingly inflicted on Howon, and the mornings after, soft and peaceful with Woohyun smiling at him over a delicious breakfast, the only times he ever ate breakfast. 

Howon pressed his lips tightly together, sealing the memory of Woohyun’s lips deep into his skin. He closed his eyes. It was safe like this, the calm center in the eye of the storm. If he put even just a finger out - if he even allowed himself to hope - he didn't know what would happen to him and Woohyun and Infinite. Better to not risk anything.

* * *

The next morning, Howon awoke groggily, but there were no sounds of food being cooked or the smell of freshly brewed coffee. There was only the sound of a soft rustle by his bedside. 

Howon opened his eyes. 

He yelped. 

“Woohyun!” 

Woohyun was sitting by his bedside, looking at him thoughtfully yet confusedly. 

“I woke up in your bathroom, so I know I got drunk again,” Woohyun said. 

Howon nodded. He sat up, bunching the sheets and blankets around his body. 

“But…” Woohyun wrinkled his nose. “I remember something.” 

Howon felt his heart thump. He choked out a scoff. “You? Remember stuff?” He snorted. “Don’t make me laugh.” 

Woohyun shook his head, fixing Howon with an earnest stare. “No, I do remember. You hit your knee against the floor. Does it hurt?” 

Howon shook his head. 

“I called you names,” Woohyun went on. “You. I said you. What about you?” 

“That I’m a saint for putting up with you while drunk,” Howon said wryly. 

Woohyun shook his head. “That’s not it. You asked me something about Infinite, and I said you.” 

Howon felt his world unravelling around him. Soon, the truth would be revealed, and Howon wouldn’t even have these stolen moments for himself. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’m hungry.” He got out of bed, but Woohyun grabbed his wrist in exactly the same way that he did yesterday. 

“I held your hand like this, and pulled, and…” Woohyun’s eyes had gone wide. “I kissed you?” 

Howon froze. 

“I kissed you,” Woohyun stated. 

Howon yanked his hand out of Woohyun’s grasp. “You were drunk, what would you remember?” he said curtly, making a beeline for the door. 

“It’s not false hope,” came Woohyun’s voice from behind him, and he stopped. He didn’t even realise he was shaking until Woohyun carefully slid arms around him from behind, holding his trembling hands securely. 

“It’s you I can’t let go of, Howon-ah,” Woohyun said, voice soft and vulnerable. “Am I - Am I wrong to hope?” 

Howon shook his head mutely, turning slightly in Woohyun’s arms. He pressed a tender kiss to Woohyun’s lips, feeling Woohyun’s tense body sag in relief.

* * *

They curled up on the bed, Howon cuddled in Woohyun’s arms. He’d lost their game of who-cuddles-whom scissors-paper-stone, but he wasn’t complaining. It still felt like a dream. 

“So all this while, I’d been drunkenly confessing my love for you to you, and you never told me?” Woohyun asked. “Even though you loved me too?”

“Pretty much,” Howon said lightly. “You never remembered, anyway, so I didn’t want to say anything. I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me or you’d get spooked and not come back.” 

Woohyun hummed, pressing a kiss to Howon’s forehead. 

“Why were you drinking, anyway?” Howon asked. 

Woohyun looked sheepish. “I couldn’t get over living separately. Not living apart from everyone, though - but that I wouldn’t be able to spend time with you anymore. It wouldn’t be the same.” 

“So you drank yourself drunk, to get over me, but ended up breaking into my apartment every time to drunkenly confess to me,” Howon summarised succinctly. “Jongie is going to laugh at us.” 

“So is Gyu-hyung,” Woohyun groaned. “He must have been the one dropping me off at your doorstep every time I got drunk. I was usually drinking with him before I ended up at your place.” 

He fished out his phone from his pants pocket, checking his messages. “Gyu-hyung sent a message. He switched my drinks for water last night once I was pretty much out of it. He said I'd been dragging him out to drink and constantly complaining about not being able to see you.” 

“So that’s why you remembered, you weren't that drunk,” said Howon. “Jongie and him must have put two and two together.” He sighed. “They’re going to tease us for a long time.” 

Woohyun smiled, tilting Howon’s head up. “I don’t mind,” he said softly. “Not as long as you’re next to me.” He grinned mischievously. “With you by my side, I won’t need alcohol.”

Howon couldn’t help smiling back. “I guess I’ll have to help you break your alcohol habit, then,” he said as he leaned in and their lips met. 

 

Epilogue  
“I can't believe Gyu-hyung typed the password in for you, that's practically breaking and entering,” Howon huffed. 

“But he didn't,” Woohyun said. “At least, I only remember him dumping me at your doorstep and leaving.” 

“Then how did you know my password?” Howon said confusedly.

“I must've guessed it while drunk,” said Woohyun. “Hmm, is it your birthday date and mine put together?” 

Howon stared at him and turned red. “I'm going to change it.”

“You can't!”


End file.
